Signal lamp



Feb. 22, 192?.i

y H. PIPER SIGNAL LAMP Filed April 23, 192e Sheupfthe lamp.;

Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

- i 1,618,77e PATENT- orsi-CET.;

I-IIRAM LUCAS'PIPEB, vOIE MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.A

steunt LAMP.

` Ap'pncatia meapAprii 23, 192e. Samnaun/1,220. j

This invention relates to a railway signal light being displayed asdesired, the adjustment beingmade from the exterior of thev lamp shell, so that the same. lamp construction l. can lbe used eitherk asa marker or aV classiiication lamp by a simple adjustment.

Heretofore the accommodationv ofthe adjustable screen carrierl of af signal lamp, within 'thea shell ofV the lampg left such space between the shell la'ndscreens that leakage ofv whitel light from thek lamps source of illumination occurred varoundv thev edge of the screens with Vthe resultth'atthe coloured light rays weredanger'ously neutralized: In order, therefore,rto" avoid 'this defect the' Vpresent invention has beenl conceived, with the object of so. .combining the lamp'shell and :l adjustable screen that dangerous. 'neutralization of Coloured signal lights by the white illumination light, isf avoided, this ob.-

ject being vspecifically achieved by the pro-- vision of coloured screens curved in approximation ofthe arc of the movementof the carriergand contour ofthe lampV shell whereby such screens can be: disposed in intimate associationwith the interior'wall of the shell and so prevent leakage ofwhite light outwardly around the screens in degree to avoid interference thereof with the coloured rays.

Further objects and advantages relating to generally improved construction including fitting'off source of illumination and storage of extra colouredvl screens will be hereinafter morefully described, in the4 specification and specifically `pointed out in the appended claims. A

For.v full comprehension,` however, Vof my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawingsy forming a part of this specilication, in which the'same reference characters indicate the same parts and wherein: l v v Fig. 1 is-a vertical vsection through the 1 Fig. 2` 's .a topview ofthelamp with the Vcover. opened.

Referring nowto the drawings, 2 indicates thecylindricalishell of mysignal lamp, the lenses thereof being shown at 3 and the cover at 4;.

The bottom 5 of the shellis centrally apertured at v6 to accommodate a coup-ling 4boss 7 which is lixed to thebottom by? aflange`v 8 and extends upwardlyand inwardly to constitute a socket for an elec-tric lamp 9 and' downwardly and outwardly to constitute a coupling 'fora' flexiblesheath 10 enclosing electrical wires leading tothe lamp socket. This arrangement constitutesva simple and compact vfitting for the sourcelof illumination ofV the' lamp" and by avoiding side en'- trance of' the. wires eliminates side projections interferingy with the positioning of the lamp upon they railwayr car thus enablingthe lampV being hung with the same facility as when illuminated by -oil' lamp 'contained entirely within the shell,

l The lmnp/socketl constitutes af pivot boss for the adjustable screeny carrier, this latter comprising a cylinder, 11 dimensioned to snugly lit withinctheshellof the lamp and resting upon the shell bottom 5, and a bottom 12 'centrally a-pert-ured to closely but freely encircle the boss r(fand spaced upwardly from andlparallejlingthe bottom 5 int-o an .annular groove lof'the lamp socket bossy retains thecarrier cylinder in position without resisting movement thereof' around the boss.- i

'of the lamp' shell. V A spring clip 13 sprungv Af shallow cup-likediscllcentrally aprertured tofsnugly but freely 'encircle the lower projecting end oi'the` boss 7 is pivotally supported upon" theljatter fby means ofak spring clip 16 sprung into an annular groove 17 inthe boss. AThis disc carries a` pin 18 extending' upwardly through `an arcuate slot 19 in the bottom 5 ofthe' lamp shell and is engaged. withrthecarrier, bottom 12 so as to impart rotary movement thereto without interfering vwith upwardI removalof the carriercylinder when the clip ll'is removed. This engagement, betweenA pin 18 andV carrierk isr secured by passing the, pincupwardly through the bottoi'n`12." 'Anhandle or knob 2O fixed to the disc 15 enables same to be rotated and through it the carrier, the slot 19 beingV concentric with boss .27 andsemicircular in',` extent allowing the carrier to be rotatedhalf'way round within, the lamp shell. v 1

o Securedto the bottom 5 are springclips 21with their free ends adjacent the ends of the-,slot 19 in position tov snap over and yieldingly retain. the pin .18Y` when it is carried toeither end oftheslot and thus prevent accidentaly displacement of the carrier, from adjusted position, through jolting of the train and the like.

The carrier cylinder 11 isapertured atr22 llO in correspondence to the lensed apertures of the lamp shell so that the carrier apertures can be registered with the lenses. The

bottom and side margins of the carrier aper tures are provided with ledges or flanges 23 upon the interior of the carrier cylinder to constitute retaining slots for colour screens 24 which are slipped down or removed through the open top of the carrier cyl inder. `These screens are usually coloured sheets of glass and ,are curved correspond ingly to the cylinder carrier and lamp'- shell so that with the screens upon the carrier the close association of the latter with the shell is maintained across the aperture area. For this reason, coupled with the` fact of the presence of the carrier in theform of a cylinder, the white illumination of the lamp 9 is retained within the cylinder without such. leakage as to interfere `with the coloured rays produced b the screens.` i t t t will be o vious that with coloured screens in position, a desired colour can be displayed through a lens of the lamp by revolving the carrier "through the medium of the exteriorly accessible knob 20.

Inasinuch as it is of advantage to Jrovide i a local store of screens for renewal o breakage, etc., I have utilized the space presented within the dome-like cover 4 of the lamp for this purpose. Accordingly a pocket comprising a curved back 25 and inwardly overanging side margins 26 is hinged as at` 27 at one end of the interior of the cover and adapted to engage a spring latch 28 carried by the cover adjacent its opposite end. Spare screens are slipped between the back and overhanging margins and engaged by sprin holders 29 carried upon the underside of t 1e margins 26, these holders 29 and latch 28 holding the sparesin place and preventing rattling thereof when the free end of the pocket is latched. From the above it will be seen that a lamp constructed in accordance with my invention will overcome the defect of interference with the coloured display by the white illuminating light and will present advantages in compactness and simplicity of construction and facility of use.

What I claim isas follows: t y l. In a signal lamp. the combination of a cylindrical lamp shell having light aper` tures; a cylindrical carrier within the shell and having light apertures adapted to regis ter with the apertures of the shell; coloured screens upon the carrier and covering the apertures thereof; a tubular boss extending upwardly and centrally through the bottom of the shell, the upper portion of the boss constituting a socket for an electric lamp; the said carrier having its bottom centrally apertured to closely but freely encircle the boss; an electric lamp carried by the socket end of the boss and the electrical wires conducting current to the electric lamp extending upwardly fromthe exterior of the signal lamp through the boss to the socket end thereof; and means for rotating the carrier to bring the apertures thereof out of or into register with the shell apertures.

2. Ina signal lamp of the character described, having a shell and a dome shaped cover hinged to the shell, a pocket or holder for spare coloured screens located in said cover and hinged at one side to the cover and a spring latch on the cover to engage the opposite free side of the holder, said holder comprising aicui'ved back and iii-, wardly overhanging side portions each of which has a spring inner side thereof.` 3. In avsidnal lamp, the combination with a cylindrica lamp shell having light apertures in `the sides and a curved slot inthe J bottom thereof, of a cylindrical carrier wit`hin the shell and having a bottom portion with a hole therein Iregistering with the curved slot in the bottom of the shell and also having light apeitures adapted to register with tbeapertures of the shell;` coloured screens upon the carrier and covering the apertures thereof; a centrally located tubu lar boss secured to the bottom of the shell,

which is apertured to accommodate it, eir- -f tending downwardly therefrom and upn wardly loosely through the apertured bottom` holder mounted upon the of the carier, the upper portion ofthe boss t constituting asocket for an electric lamp;

an electric lamp carried by the socket end ot theboss and `electrical wires conductingcurrent to the electric lamp passing upwardly from the exteriorof the signal lamp through the boss to the socket end thereof; a disc pivotal] mounted `upon the lower portion of the" )oss exteriorly of the shell, a pin carried by the disc and extending upwardly therefrom through the curved slot in the bottom of the shell into the registering hole in the bottom of the carrier and a knob upon the disc through the medium of which the disc is turned to move the carrier.

4. In a signal lamp, the combination with a cylindrical lamp shell having light apertures in the sides thereof and a curved slot in the bottoni thereof, ot a cylindrical carrier within the shell, and having a bottom por tion with a hole therein registering with the y circular slot in the bottomof the shell such carrier having light apertures adapted to register with the apertures of the shell, coloured screens upon the carrier and covering the apertures thereof, a centrally located boss fastened to the bottom of the shell, extending downwardly therefrom and up wardly loosely through the bottom of the car rior, and presenting annular grooves near its` top and bottom ends, an electric lamp litted 1nto the top of the boss, electrical Wires passing upwardly through the boss, to the lampffrom the bottom of the boss, edisc is turned to moveV the carrier, and spring Y pivotally mounted upon the lower portion of clips in said grooves in the boss and bearing 10 the boss exteriorly of the shell, a pin carried respectively against the exterior of the disc by the dise and extending upwardly thereand the inner surface of the bottom of the 5 from through the Circular slot in the bottom carrier.

of the shell into the registering hole in the In testimony whereof, I have signed rny bottom of the carrier and a knob upon the name to this specification. dise through the medium of Which the dise n HIRAM LUCAS PIPER. 

